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OSHKOSH - While some might consider ramen noodles a college staple, a new eatery near the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh hopes to bring a better version of that dish to the community.

Mama's Noodle Bar, 248 Wisconsin St., held a grand opening this month in the former Lou's Brew Cafe space, right across from the university. The shop is near Alpha Barbershop, 244 Wisconsin St., which opened in October.

Mai Vang has always wanted to open her own restaurant, and that dream finally became a reality with Mama's. She wanted to bring her own cooking style to the community — a style Vang learned from her grandmother and father.

Vang, who was born in Laos and raised in Thailand, came to the United States in 1979, when she was 8. She ended up in Oshkosh 8 years ago.

Before opening her restaurant, she sold her dishes at farmers markets. She also cooked for her family, including her eight children.

Vang's cooking is authentic and involves Laotian and Thai cuisine, in addition to Hmong dishes. She loves working each day at the restaurant.

Vang chose the location because it's near the university. Students can get a 10% discount with a student ID, and they're more than welcome to hang around and study in the restaurant, she said.

True to its name, Mama's offers a wide array of noodles that include pho that can come with beef, chicken or even meatballs in addition to fried noodles dishes.

The restaurant also offers a lunch special from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays during which customers may fill a takeout box from a buffet that includes noodles, fried rice, egg rolls and Korean fried chicken (Yup, that's right: They've got KFC in a bucket).

The restaurant also serves Thai iced coffee and tea.

"We grew up on noodles," said Tiffany Xiong, Vang's daughter who works at the restaurant.

The doors were always open at Xiong's childhood home because her mom was always boiling big pots of noodles. Xiong was Europe when the restaurant was about to open, so she flew back to help run the business.

Noodles were the foundation of the family, Xiong said. She hopes college students find comfort in the restaurant between or after classes.

Mama's would eventually like to offer delivery and catering, Xiong said.

Mama's is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays.

To learn more about the restaurant, visit the eatery's Facebook page or website.